While we hunters typically plan our hunts in advance we never know when we’ll have a potential opportunity to add a new section of private ground to our mix. Be prepared by keeping a landowner permission slip in your vehicle’s glove box. Visit hservices.nra.org and click on “NRA Hunter/Landowner Agreement” to download a standard “Release, Hold Harmless and Indemnification” form that you and the landowner can sign on the spot.

For some common sense tips worth repeating, perhaps the landowner needs some help controlling the number of does eating his garden or taking out a few predators or varmints. In the spirit of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, you can show your gratitude in a variety of ways, including by offering to share the bounty. Whether or not he grants permission, ask if he can suggest other area landowners who might grant you permission to hunt and whether he is comfortable with you dropping his name when you approach them. The more spots you have to hunt, the more you can select the best spot on a particular day.